PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2008

The veteran's death is being reviewed for service connection and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, with additional development needed to address the cause of death and potential exposure issues.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD based on new evidence, but further development is needed to determine if the veteran's personal assault stressors are credible and sufficient to establish a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD is denied as there was no prior claim filed before July 28, 2003.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is not service-connected, as there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor. The veteran's Major Depressive Disorder is also denied as it is not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA psychiatric examination and additional development of the claims file, including obtaining more recent treatment records.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is being remanded due to the need to verify his claimed in-service stressors and conduct a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as it is collaterally estopped from deciding this issue due to a previous Court decision affirming the March 2005 Board decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, anxiety state, and PTSD. The decision stated that new and material evidence had not been received.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran has PTSD or any other Axis I psychiatric diagnoses related to his military service.

The veteran's PTSD was initially rated at 30 percent prior to May 17, 2005 and increased to 50 percent on and after that date. The effective dates for these ratings are October 8, 2003 and May 17, 2005 respectively.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and neuropathy due to a herniated disc, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen his previously denied claims.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was denied. The claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis was also denied. The claim for service connection for headaches has a final decision in favor of reopening the claim. Service connection for acne vulgaris is granted with a 30% disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's symptoms warrant a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD with depression, which is higher than the current 50 percent assigned.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD as his in-service stressors could not be verified and there was no credible supporting evidence to corroborate his claimed stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining unit records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current gastrointestinal disorder. The veteran's reports of stressors during service will also be reviewed.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for malaria and PTSD. For malaria, there is no evidence of active disease or residuals. For PTSD, the rating remains at 50 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of October 9, 2007, for service connection of PTSD. The decision stated that the veteran did not provide sufficient details about his stressors to enable VA to identify and obtain relevant records from the service department.

The VA determined that the veteran's PTSD, which is not linked to any specific exposure or service connection theory, results in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks. The current rating of 30 percent adequately reflects this level of disability.

The Board has determined that there is a need for further development of the evidence to determine if the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his cause of death and whether he was entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for further development and readjudication, including providing VCAA-compliant notice and obtaining additional evidence. The claim will be considered on a mixed basis as new and material evidence has been received.